It is Never too Late to Fall in Love
by Cathcer1984
Summary: Harry is at Hogwarts and a student is causing a problem. In comes specialist Draco Malfoy.  Written for Leo Palooza Secret Santa, more info inside.


bTo:/b Flamingolady  
bFrom:/b drarryxlover  
bGift:/b Fic  
bRating:/b NC-17  
bWord Count:/b 2928  
bSummary:/b Harry is at Hogwarts and a student is causing a problem. In comes specialist Draco Malfoy.  
bAuthor's notes:/b Happy Christmas! I hope you like it, I've struggled with this a bit but I think it's worth it! I liked what you asked for but I must say I've never written the two ideas together before! It also has no mention of Christmas and for that I'm sorry but I couldn't think of anything to make all three things fit! And a big, huge thank you goes to my brilliant beta SwissMiss!  
bWarnings:/b M/M Sex, language, contains spoilers highlight to read *Mpreg, veela!Draco and mate!Harry, Healer!Harry*

**XXXX**

**It is Never too Late to Fall in Love**

Harry felt like a teenager again sitting in Dumbledore's office, only this time as opposed to the old wizard he was sitting across from a stern-looking Headmistress McGonagall. Despite having worked in the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey for five years and taking over in the past three, Harry felt as though he had done something drastically wrong.

"Minerva..." The name still felt odd on his tongue and he only used it in her presence. "You're making me feel like I'm eighteen again. What's going on? I have a third year hit with a fierce stinging hex."

"A stinging hex shouldn't require a trip to the hospital wing."

"It does when one is hit in the eye."

Her lips tightened into the thin line that Harry was used to seeing when she was stressed. "Then I shall be brief. You surely know of Lanford Nott's predicament." When Harry nodded Minerva continued. "Neither you nor I know how to deal with his ailment. Therefore, I have contacted an external source: a young man in a similar state, one who knows of Nott's predicament. I trust you will act accordingly and professionally whilst you help Nott."

Harry nodded sincerely. "Of course, Minerva. May I enquire as to when I should expect your expert? And do I need to brief him on anything?"

"He should arrive within the hour. Finish with your current patients and make sure Mr. Nott is ready and prepared."

Nodding, Harry stood. "Of course. I'll report back tonight. Minerva..." He inclined his head toward her before likewise acknowledging Dumbledore's and Snape's portraits.

**XXXX**

A knock on the hospital wing's double doors drew Harry from his perusal of Lanford Nott's file; he glanced up after calling, "Come in," to see Lanford enter.

"Lanford, come have a seat over here."

"Sir, what is this about?"

The sixth year looked terrified underneath his wan skin, with dark circles under his eyes as well as a slight sweaty sheen to skin. "The Headmistress and I do not know how to help you, Lanford, so we're bringing someone in. I believe they are within a year or two of your brother and I."

"So someone who has been through this?" Lanford's Slytherin mask remained in place though his eyes betrayed a hopeful look.

"I believe so, yes." Harry wanted to put his hand on the boy's shoulder to comfort him, but knew he couldn't without serious side-effects.

"Don't worry, Lanford, we'll find a way to help you."

"You said help, not heal."

"You cannot be healed," a voice drawled from the doorway, causing both Harry and Lanford to whip their heads round to face the man.

Harry felt his breath catch as he stared at Malfoy: blond hair loose around his face, which was looking less pointy, his eyes still a piercing silver-grey and his nose still displaying an aristocratic slope. He was of course wearing robes which were fitted neatly to his broad shoulders and torso that tapered into a thin waist, where the robe fell open around his legs. Harry could see that he was obviously wearing trousers.

Clearing his throat, Harry stood smoothly and moved towards Draco. "Malfoy, thank you for taking the time to help us out."

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked Harry up and down, taking in the black slacks and white button-up shirt. The top three buttons were left undone, giving a tantalizing view of his smooth chest. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbow, showing off toned forearms. "Not going to shake my hand, Potter?"

"You are in a similar situation to Lanford. I would not jeopardise you or myself."

"Saving yourself, how egotistical."

Harry smiled slightly. "I think of it more as self-preservation."

Draco let out an unexpected bark of laughter which made Harry's smile grow as he murmured, "I thought you'd appreciate the Slytherin mindset."

Turning away, Harry missed the flicker of pain that crossed the blond's features. "I believe you two are already acquainted, but for the appearance of manners, Lanford Nott, this is Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, Lanford."

The two Slytherins nodded to each other before Draco took a seat near Harry and opposite Lanford. "Well, you looked slightly better than I did in sixth year," Draco commented, his eyes glancing in Harry's direction but not quite meeting.

"How long do I have left?"

"Well, it's February now and your birthday is in August, correct?"

"Yes, I'll be seventeen."

"Yes, when you turn seventeen you'll start to dream of your mate. They will be somebody you know. You may not like them, you may consider yourself to be heterosexual and they are male or the reverse. Usually your preferences are predetermined by your mate's sex."

"Wow, so what's your mate?"

"Male, though I have not found him. I pray to Merlin that it does not happen to you. The seventeenth and eighteenth years are no different, but the nineteenth is torture, like a constant _Cruciatus_. However, it does get better as the years pass."

"But?"

"No but. You will find your mate." Draco said everything with a straight face and even tone, though Harry narrowed his eyes as he denied the extra information. Harry knew as well as Draco that he would die before his twenty-ninth birthday.

"Why didn't you find yours?"

"Lanford, you can't ask that."

"It's fine, Potter. I haven't found him because during my seventeenth year we didn't interact. Since then, my dreams have been more pronounced, but nothing substantial, as my mate is being protected by strong magic."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, Mister Malfoy."

"You say 'Mister Malfoy' and I look for my father, and if I do that, Potter here will have his wand out quicker than you can say _Quidditch_. Call me Draco."

Lanford nodded.

"You better head off for dinner, Lanford," Harry stated quietly, not saying anything more until the boy had left and the double doors had shut with a bang.

"Do want to have dinner here or in your rooms?" Harry said quietly.

"Not the Great Hall?"

"I know the amount of people will cause a great deal of stress for you."

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when you were smart and sensitive to my needs. Well, all I can say is I'm glad that I got to see it before..." He trailed off.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Talk like you're not going to see everything you want to."

Draco gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I have less than three years, Potter; twenty-eight months, in fact."

"Unless you find your mate." Harry didn't know why, but the thought of Draco dying caused a feeling of tightness in his chest.

"Ever the optimist. I've given up on that ever happening, Potter. I just wish-" He trailed off and looked out the window.

"What?" When Draco shook his head, Harry pushed: "Twenty-eight months and you can't tell me what you wish?"

"I just want one night of being loved, you know? I want a man to take me and mark me and love me." Draco's voice cracked and Harry's heart broke watching his former childhood rival at the end of his tether.

Draco Malfoy had changed since his schoolboy days, much like Harry himself had. Both had become reclusive, and neither seemed to be making any assumptions about the other. Just seeing Draco almost in tears caused Harry in a surge of sympathy to reach out to hold Draco's hand. As soon as their skin touched, Harry realised what he had done and drew his hand away, or tried to.

Draco gripped Harry's hand tightly, looking down at their joined hands in interest. Harry, who had curled in on himself expecting talons, wings, claws and a beak, slowly unfurled and stared at Draco.

"Not what I was expecting to happen."

"No, I was more anticipating something a lot more..."

"Veela?"

"I was going to say violently awe-inspiring." Harry smiled slightly at the banter before turning serious. "What does this mean?"

"You know what it means, Potter. _Harry_." Draco smiled.

"Did you know it could be me?"

"I- I knew it was somebody I was near during the Battle of Hogwarts, but so many people brushed past me, hit me, or grabbed me. It was so confusing I couldn't organise my thoughts as to who I was near when I felt it, I was just so scared all the time."

Harry smiled but let Draco continue. "I hoped it was you. When I was alone at the Manor I dreamt that you'd come and then... then you did."

"And I left you."

"Why would you take me with you?" Draco sighed. "When Father asked me to identify you, I knew it was you but I couldn't tell them. And I was so close to you all I wanted to do was kiss you," Draco chuckled.

"Well..." Harry moved slightly in his chair so he was leaning forward, his face close to Draco's. "You can kiss me now."

Draco's eyes flew up from his knees to meet Harry's wide green ones. "You're serious?"

"I'm your mate, yes?"

"Yes." Hope was making Draco's features light up like a beacon.

"Then I'm serious, kiss me."

Leaning closer to Harry so that their lips touched, Draco felt both a searing pain in his back and a sense of calm that evaporated the years of disquiet and anxiety. Ignoring the pain in his shoulders, Draco curled his hands around Harry, forcing the brunet out of his chair and onto Draco's lap.

Harry's new position, straddling Draco, made it easier for his erection to brush Draco's, and he was able to rock against the blond uncontrollably. Harry freed one of his hands from where it was clutching Draco's clothing and waved it, which caused their clothes to vanish so they were skin to skin.

"Nifty spell," Draco gasped as Harry's flesh was sliding against his own.

Neither man could control themselves; logically, Harry knew they were in the middle of the hospital wing of a school and a student or teacher could walk in, but he found he didn't care. All that mattered was Draco.

They moved together frantically as each man approached their climax. Suddenly, Draco pushed Harry away, stopping the movements of their hips as he moved Harry so the brunet was standing in front of him.

"Why have you stopped?" Harry panted.

"I need to know if you want this."

"I do, I want you, Draco." Harry moved forward but was stopped again.

"I don't think you understand, if we go through with this-" Harry's lips captured Draco's, stopping the rest of his sentence from being uttered.

Draco leaned back in his chair and sighed into Harry's mouth as the other man straddled his thighs. This time, instead of Harry's cock brushing against his own, Draco found a slick, warm hand encasing his erection, coating it in a gel-like substance.

Opening his eyes as he pulled away, Draco groaned as he took in the sight above him: Harry was straddling Draco's thighs, feet flat on the floor and body above Draco's but not touching. One hand was grasping Draco's cock, the other reaching behind him, and Draco didn't need to guess what he was doing as Harry's head was thrown back in pleasure, a flush high on his cheeks, his mouth slightly open as he panted, his green eyes half lidded as they stared at Draco.

"Harry," Draco gasped as Harry moved his hand from behind him to Draco's shoulder, "we need to talk." The other hand remained on Draco's cock as Harry lowered himself until Draco was positioned at his entrance. "This means... nggh," Draco groaned loudly as Harry just smiled and took Draco in, his passage stretching with every downward thrust until he was sitting on the blond's lap, Draco fully sheathed in Harry.

A strange light seemed to glow around them and Harry smiled as he looked down at Draco, whose appearance in the odd light was ethereal. Harry began to move slightly. It was awkward because of their position, and yet they both quickly reached their peak.

Draco watched Harry's face as his orgasm overtook him; eyes closed, bottom lip caught between white teeth, flush high on his cheeks. Seeing this and feeling Harry clench around him brought Draco to his own orgasm.

Harry slumped forward into Draco's chest, pressing soft kisses to his collarbone as Draco stood on shaking legs and put Harry on the nearest bed, waving his wand to cast a non-verbal cleaning charm. Draco pulled the blanket over Harry's form before slipping under it and spooning behind the sleepy brunet.

Pressing a few kisses to the back of Harry's neck, he wrapped his arm around his lover before allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

**XXXX**

Outside the hospital wing, Minerva was pacing back and forth muttering spells under her breath, trying to dismantle the charm around the infirmary.

"You won't get through that, ma'am."

Minerva turned and gazed steadfastly at the boy in front of her. "And why is that, Nott?"

"There's a Veela mating happening in there."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm a Veela, I can _feel _these things."

Minerva was speechless, though as she thought about the situation, it made sense. The two had always had strong reactions to each other and it was justifiable that neither boy understood the seriousness and the deepness of their bond with the other at such a tender age of eleven, when they first met.

The Headmistress sent one last look over her shoulder at the closed doors of the hospital wing before walking past Lanford, who was blushing furiously. "I suggest you head back to your dormitory, Nott, and if you happen to meet anyone on their way down here, direct them towards my office."

"Yes ma'am," the teenager muttered before turning tail and running away, whether from the activities behind the doors or from her: Minerva didn't know.

**XXXX**

**Two Weeks Later**

_Thirty- four, thirty-five, thirty-six_...

"Harry, for Merlin's sake, stop pacing! It's driving me spare!"

Harry guiltily looked over at the blond, who was lounging in a chair near the office door. His usual place, watching, while Harry worked with his patients. "Sorry, I'm just so..."

"Nervous? Worried? What, Harry?"

"I... don't know," Harry lied. He did know, but he didn't know how Draco would react. His symptoms made it very clear what was wrong.

Frowning, Draco sighed before he asked, "Are you sure, Harry? You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know." Harry smiled and walked over to his lover and straddled his lap before placing a chaste kiss to the pouting lips.

Both men sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts: Draco knew Harry was hiding something. He could feel strong emotions of Harry's through their Veela bond. Draco hadn't told Harry that they were mated or what that entailed. Taking a deep breath, Draco mentally prepared himself to open up to Harry.

"Harry?" The new voice startled both Harry and Draco as they turned to face the speaker. Harry climbed off Draco and moved towards the boy. "Yes, Lanford?"

The boy looked at Draco then back at Harry. "Congratulations, sir."

"Thank you, Lanford." Harry smiled brightly. "How can I help you?"

"I was just wondering if it was... safe. Quidditch is starting up this weekend and if _I_, being an un-mated Veela, can come in here without being harmed by Mister Malfoy, then any student can."

Lanford noticed Harry's expression and backed off. "Good day, sir." He fled out the door, letting it shut with a resounding bang.

When Harry faced Draco, a deep frown marred his features. "What did he mean, Draco?"

The blond looked away from his mate. "I tried to tell you when we first had sex but I got distracted... I should have tried harder to make you aware."

"Aware of what?" Harry's voice shook with either suppressed rage or fear.

Draco released a shaky breath. "Aware that when a Veela and his or her mate have sex for the first time they form a bond. The dominant partner can feel strong emotions in their mate, and they are mated for life."

"So basically we're married?"

Draco refrained from rolling his eyes as he met Harry's. "In layman's terms, yes, we're married. But we could have a ceremony and make it _really_ official."

Draco bit his lip and watched Harry for his reaction.

"Oh good, I'd hate for our baby to be born out of wedlock." Harry grinned cheekily. "They say confession is good for the soul. I know I should have told you about a week ago when I found out for sure. It's why I've been so fidgety and energetic. That's what happens to pregnant men instead of morning sickness."

During Harry's rambling, Draco had processed the information. Grinning, he approached Harry, threw his arms around the brunet and proceeded to kiss him senseless.

"We're having a baby."

"Yes, Draco we are."

"And this won't be the only one, will it?"

"I should hope not." Harry grinned at Draco. "I always wanted a brother or sister, so at least two more."

"At the very least."

Draco put his hand on Harry's stomach. "I'm glad I found you, Harry. To think in a year I'd be... I'd be de-"

"Shush." Harry placed a finger over Draco's lips. "Let's not talk about that now, or ever. You've found me and I've found you. I love you, Draco."

Pressing a soft kiss but lingering kiss to Harry's lips, Draco barely moved away as he whispered, "I love you too, Harry, you and our baby."

**XXXX**

*Lanford is an uncommon name, English in origin and meaning Long ford; Long River. I thought it fit well with Theodore and other odd names of HP. Hope you all enjoyed it, Happy Christmas!

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